Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I noticed that my HF had been spending an unusual amount of time buried (possibly due to lowered temps in my house, due to the chilly weather we're geting now.) No weight loss or anything. I unburied him this morning and found that he had been resting upon feces that seemed to be more than a day old. Usually my HFs leave the hole they're in after defecating and dig a new burrow on the other side of the tank, but not this time. I am worried that he'll expose himself to bacteria and toxins by doing this. So I think it's a good idea to periodically unbury him and remove the "trouble" before it could lead to redleg. Your thoughts?
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*~Ginevive~*

Interesting dilema, G. On one hand, sitting on top of feces can't be healthy yet digging them up while they're aestivating can't be a good thing, either. I don't know what the answer is but to use logic, maybe make sure their system is purged of food before they start to aestivate and offer no other food items until they re-emerge. Manipulating enclosure temperatures might make it easier to do this. Keep it warm until they defecate their last meal and then lower the temps for aestivation. I'm not claiming this is scientific, only an opinion.

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*~Ginevive~*